Week Ten (i) - Tintenfisch and Blind Dinner!

Mon 11.3.13: 

After German I picked up groceries for the week, allowing me to make another salmon and veggie omelette as a post-core workout meal. E40 was cancelled, so after Econ I hung out at the center, finishing some logistical issues and writing a poem for tomorrow's talent show. 

Tue 12.3.13: 

Every quarter, Stanford in Berlin hosts Tintenfisch, which literally means octopus but somehow came to stand for talent show. It's a great way to relax and observe our friends' (and staff's) hidden skills! The line-up:

Susan and Juan played two beautiful violin duets, including Mozart's 'The Mirror' Duet (the second violin's part is obtained by rotating the sheet music 180° from that of the first violin!)

Peter performed a pair of pieces on piano

Rob sung a rendition of Max the Knife

Group mockeries/ guessing game!

Karen churned out a concerto on cello

Nish and co. attempted 'Ich bin morgens immer müde'

Susan performed a solo

I ended with my poem, a half-English half-Deutsch endeavor that summarized our experiences while abroad and included several program-wide jokes (see end of post)

After Tintenfisch, I played some football with Shane, logged a bike workout, met briefly with Wolf regarding my Deutsche Bahn application, and then headed to our blind dinner!

We were led into an absolutely pitch black room (I couldn't even see my hand when I waved it in front of my face), hands on each other's shoulders, and were seated carefully. It took us a few minutes to orient ourselves, but we soon figured out who was sitting where and where our utensils were. Also, in the utter darkness, we felt liberated enough to remove some of our clothes - quite entertaining for the sense of mischievousness, though simultaneously comical and embarrassing when the waiter tapped us on the shoulder (I'm sure they get this all the time though).

We started with a delicious soup, which I tried - successfully - to eat normally, sitting upright and lifting each spoonful to my mouth. Initially it was difficult and disorienting, as I worried about spilling, but I managed quite respectably. At the end, though, I had to resort to awkwardly tilting the bowl and scraping it repeatedly, unsure of when I had finished. I had selected the 'River and Sea' option, so my main dish came with what I believe was a white fish, risotto, and some sort of vegetable. We all had great fun attempting to ascertain precisely what our plates were, as it was quite challenging without sight (this lack of sight enabled Zixiang to troll our table by prowling around and switching seats). Finally, our dessert arrived: a chocolate truffle, a glass full of passion fruit cream (my favorite), and a ladleful of fresh berries - simply superb! All in all, I think I speak for our entire group when I say that not having sight requires significant adjustments - using the bathroom was a nervous but successful endeavor - and definitely widened our understanding of other people's lives. 

Afterwards, we walked to Weinerei, a wine bar with a 2€ entry fee and then a pay-what-you-think-is-fair policy, but it was full so Lulu, Susan, and I just headed to my place for some Bushwhackers before sleeping.

My Reflection upon this Quarter in Berlin

We arrived excited, and partied and sung

Oops, I'm sorry - Entschuldigung

How much to pay? I dunno what to say…

Bitte? Bitte bitte? Bitte bitte? Bitte bitte?

Of chocolate, clubs, cafes, and bars - there is too much to name

Schlafen an der U-Bahn? Kein Problem!

Exploring with Jander - monuments and the Wall

Keine Sonne? Es schneit! Wirf einen Schneeball!

So many sponsors and staff to thank

Und danach wir feiern mit Geburtstag Getrank

The Philharmonie - you must be joiking!

Ich habe keine Annung, was reimt mit joiking

Tequila Tuesday, Turkish market, Brandenburger Tor

Trinken tanzen trinken tanzen trinken some more!

Turkey talks, dumb Americans? - That was a bit of a groaner

Wir aßen ,,Bert with Women'' aber Kreuzberg Döner ist schöner

Hagia Sofia, Grand Bazaar and baklava

Ich bin morgens immer müde und ich fühle so la la

E40 is in serious - "whaddya mean upstairs?"

Oh, wie schön sind der Tiger und der Bär

Weekend trips and Karneval - "Guys, it's 7am!"

Gluhwein, Kostumen, und Viva Colonia

Hertha-Union, Valentines, Museum Island blitz

Hänsel Gretel, Brüder Grimm, Max und Moritz!

Berlinale and a ballet - why was there so much flash?

Museen, Potsdam, Sanssouci - ich war überrascht!

Poor translations: cervical steak; what should that even be?

Und was hat passiert, in der Karaoke?

Econ toured BMW; T. Swift's 'Trouble' played aloud

Dann in Dresden lernten wir über alles, das wurde gebaut

The gold the gems the knights the tents, this collection was the best

In Prague: das Schloss, die Karls Brücke, Altstadt und der Rest

The sun appeared (to much rejoicing) but we won't see tonight

Wir sind gewesen in Berlin für so so lange Zeit

The history, the memories; I'd count this trip a winner

Besonders falls wir sagen können ,,Ich bin ein Berliner!"